


reaching for the sun

by sunshine_daises_daffodils



Series: i won't take no for an answer [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/F, Hunk has two moms, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, OCs - Freeform, Prequel, Wholesome, birthday fic, in honor of the sunshine boy's birthday, my friend said it made her "cri"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 22:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13374186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshine_daises_daffodils/pseuds/sunshine_daises_daffodils
Summary: Hunk and his moms, throughout years of birthdays.Dedicated to the sunshine boy himself!





	reaching for the sun

**Author's Note:**

> THIS IS LATE UGH I WISH IT WASN'T BUT HERE WE ARE 
> 
> So here's the explanation. This fic involves original characters that I've created for the purpose of a much larger series that I'm working on. It focuses on Colleen Holt and the other paladins' mothers on Earth after the disappearance of their children, and their fight against the Garrison for information about the paladins' whereabouts. It's shaping up to be really long, so I have no idea when it'll be finished. But I'm excited to give you a little taste of the monster I'm slowly but surely working towards. 
> 
> I had to do some research about life in Samoa for this fic. Since it takes place 200 years in the future (which I'm figuring is plenty of time for the Garrison to be founded and become a leader in space technology) I've taken some liberties about Samoa's stance on LGBTQ+ rights. As of right now, homosexual acts are legal in Samoa but marriage rights and legal recognition of adoption by gay couples are not in the picture. I'm assuming (and hoping) that by 2193, this will be different. I couldn't find very much information about the things I wanted to write about, and I'm sure there are gaps in my knowledge about what life in Samoa is like right now. If you happen to be of Samoan heritage, or just have knowledge about the culture in general, please leave a comment if I've done something wrong or if you think there's anything I could add to make the story richer. I would love to hear from you! 
> 
> I wanted to write something from the point of view of some of the people who love Hunk most in the whole world, since he deserves all the recognition and validation in the world. Hunk, I hope that in season 5 you'll finally get the backstory and development that you deserve. 
> 
> Work title is from "This is Me" from the Greatest Showman, and series title is from "Sick of Losing Soulmates" by dodie. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy my story!

January 13, 2207

“Are you still working on that same old truck?” Talia asked her wife, feeling slightly irritated. No response came from the person attached to the legs sticking out from under the beat up pickup. Talia could hear the faint roar of heavy metal piping from that direction. Arihi must have had her music player turned up so loud that she couldn’t hear anything else. Rolling her eyes, Talia picked a careful way across the mud-splattered path and banged her arm on the fender. No response. Talia crouched down and whacked one of the legs poking out.

The legs curled back in surprise. The music stopped, and Arihi slid out from underneath the truck. Her round face, streaked with grease all over, split in a wide smile. Looking at her, Talia was annoyed but not surprised to feel her irritation vanishing. “Hi, babe.” Arihi said. “I just love seeing the gorgeous smile of the love of my life, the light of my universe.” 

Talia was covering her face with both her hands. “I looked everywhere for you. And you didn’t hear me yelling because you had your music turned up too loud.” 

“But look! It’s almost done!” Arihi squeezed her body out and gets to her feet, revealing that her overalls were covered in mud and unidentifiable black sludge. She opened her arms for a hug. Not wanting to get her nice blouse and dress pants dirty, Talia compensated with an affectionate poke on the cleanest spot on Arihi’s shoulder. Arihi huffed in annoyance and said, “Go change, you priss.”

Talia couldn’t help a small smile at the mocking name. She was always the clean one. She spent her teenage years holed up in her meticulously organized bedroom, studying to get into college and become a therapist. Arihi always used to make fun of her, or bug her to come outside and go somewhere with her, or check out whatever car she was trying to fix. Even when she was a teenager, without her license, with half-broken cars that she’d patched together without any training, she would pull up outside Talia’s house and lean on the horn until Talia came out. It was Arihi that really showed her that staying here in Samoa was worth it. She showed her just what she would be losing if she left. So she left, and then she came home.

Arihi put her arm around her, and even though she could see herself in a few hours despairing over the mud stains on her blouse, Talia leaned into her touch. 

“He’s gonna be so surprised.” Arihi murmured. Talia could hear the excitement thrumming in her wife’s voice. Arihi was always the most excited about birthdays. She’d been cooking all day. Talia had smelled the chicken and the coconut bread the moment she’d walked in. They hadn’t started making his cake yet, because Hunk always helped make it. Later they would have members of both their families over, and some of Hunk’s closest school friends, and Hunk would get some presents. But his biggest surprise would be Talia, home a week early from an important conference that she’d pulled some strings to get out of. Hunk would be so happy. 

Talia couldn’t think of anything that would make her happier than their family being together on a beautiful, special day like today. She threaded her fingers through Arihi’s hands, figuring that she’d wipe the stain off her wedding ring later, and squeezed. 

January 13, 2211 

Talia looked up at the sky. The winter sun glared through a gathering of storm clouds. It was going to rain soon. She really should make Arihi put her new fixer upper into the garage before it got all wet and started rusting. She absentmindedly tugged on a stand of hair that had come untucked from her bun. It was tickling the back of her neck.

She sat at the kitchen table, in her usual seat. Hunk’s absence in the room was like a black hole, sucking everything into its merciless spiral. He should have been clattering around in the kitchen, organizing all the pots and pans. He should have had his homework spread across the table. He should have been serving up a new kind of snack for her to sample. He should have been running around in a panic, late for school or work, pressing a quick kiss upon her head before dashing out the door. He should have been, he should have been, he should have been. 

The door creaked. Talia hated herself for the momentary fantasy that flashed through her head. A fantasy of Arihi and Hunk bursting through the door, chattering about the cars and trucks they were fixing up together, or speculating about the Garrison entrance exams. But it was only Arihi. 

Her shoulders were slumping. Talia watched her movements with worry. Arihi had been so self-conscious about her size when she was younger. Every time she stood or sat, she hunched in on herself, consciously or unconsciously trying to make herself look smaller. It wasn’t until after she and Talia got together that she started letting herself be comfortable, taking up all the space she needed, standing up straight and exuding confidence. Talia had never judged Arihi for her body, had always thought she was beautiful. She always made sure Hunk, who looked so much like Arihi, knew that he was just as beautiful. Seeing Arihi caving in on herself brought back painful memories of Arihi’s insecurities and old self-hatred. 

Talia hated, hated, hated what this was doing to her. What this was doing to both of them. 

Arihi smiled at her, but it was a ghost of the wide beams that Talia had always taken for granted. “How was your day, love?” she asked.

“Fine.” Talia said offhandedly. In fact, it was ten times harder to hear about the pain of others and try to come up with solutions when she knew she could never tie her own family’s lives up with a neat little ten-step program. It was also horrible to get the occasional stare or whisper or interview request her way, brought on by the extensive media coverage of their family in recent months. But Arihi didn’t need to hear about that. Especially since Talia suspected that she already knew. “Yours?”

“Eh.” Arihi sat down in her own chair, across from Talia. “Your brother showed up with an invitation to a family dinner for us. In Hunk’s honor.”

Talia crinkled her nose. She knew that her family wanted to support them, but this brought up that old resentment. They believed that the land that their people was from was the land they should remain in forever. Maybe it was the death of Talia’s older brother that caused them to think like that, or maybe they’d always thought like that. Talia had never wanted to know. They’d judged her for initially wanting a life off of the island, and they’d nodded and said things like “I always knew she’d be back” when she came home to set up her own practice and marry Arihi. Her mother had welcomed her back with open arms, but Talia had felt the coldness behind the need for a welcome back in the first place. And when Hunk had decided to apply to the Garrison, they had greeted his decision with poorly-disguised contempt. They had all grieved when he’d disappeared (held a funeral, as if he were already confirmed dead) but Talia knew that this dinner would be a big fat I-told-you-so, especially from her great-aunt and uncle, the matriarch and patriarch of the family. Thank God they were at least more accepting of her marriage to a woman than Arihi’s family, which, strangely, was more supportive after Hunk’s disappearance. 

The thought of seeing her extended family made her head hurt. All Talia wanted was her own family back. The one she and Arihi had created, the one that Hunk had filled with his exuberance and joy. 

Her fingers closed around the piece of paper with the phone number scribbled on it. She’d already memorized it. 

“Do you want to go?” Arihi asked. Her voice dipped low, gravelly. Talia knew she didn’t want to. Knew that Arihi wanted the evening to be spent poring over the pictures, trying to salvage some happy memories of their son that weren’t tainted with loss. Talia wanted that too. But there were some things that she needed more. 

“Actually,” Talia said, unfolding the paper with Colleen’s number on it, “I have something important to tell them.” 

January 13, 2193

Talia had never seen Arihi be so gentle, but she cradled Fetuao in her arms with the most incredible softness. It was so quiet in their bedroom. The chaos of the birth, of the extended families clamoring to hold the baby, to make loud and outlandish proclamations about his future, of Arihi’s screams and her hands gripping Talia’s arm with the strength of a lion, was all finally behind them. Now it was just Talia, Arihi and the baby.

“He needs a nickname.” Talia said. She touched a lock of his thin dark hair with reverance. Fetuao was a loud baby, but he was quiet now as he nursed. Arihi glanced down in consideration. 

“Yeah, okay. What were you thinking?” 

“Hunk.” Talia said. 

Arihi’s lips curled up into a smile. “Oh yeah? What makes you think that?” 

Talia grinned down at the baby. He was done nursing by now, and was blinking sleepily up at her. Carefully, she took a hold of him and lifted him into the air. His chubby little face was puffed up, and his big brown eyes were locked onto hers. Talia puffed up her cheeks and said, “Because he’s going to be a big, strong man someday!” She made her voice deep, like the voice of her father, who’d declared the same thing just hours earlier. 

Arihi laughed. Fetuao was asleep in the air. Gently, Talia brought him down and tucked him into her arms. “Also, I knew it would make you laugh.” she said, in a normal voice. “And...I want his heart to be strong, too. I want him to know how strong the love that brought him into the world is.” 

Taking her hand, Arihi said, “And it’s a name that we would pick.” Fetuao was a name they both liked, but it was a family name on both sides. They’d been expected to pick it. Neither of them had expected to choose anything else. 

Talia shifted over on the bed so Arihi could put her arm around her. She rested her head on her shoulder and hugged their baby tight. “I like that,” Arihi said. Talia knew she was smiling that enormous, perfect smile she loved so much. She hoped that after Hunk woke up from his nap, he might smile just like that for her. 

“Happy birthday, Hunk.” Talia said softly. “Hope you like your present.” 

January 13, 2211 

Talia stepped outside. She stood under the awning on the front porch of her childhood home and punched the number into her cell. Colleen picked up on the third ring. 

“Hello?” she said, her voice taut with anticipation. Talia felt a chill rush down her spine at the sound. It was almost gratifying to hear someone feeling the same desperation that she and Arihi had forced themselves to learn to live with. 

“Hi, Colleen. This is Talia.” She leaned against the wall and watched the rain pour down. “We’re looking into plane tickets. We...have some savings that we’ll be able to use.” 

She thought, briefly, of their old plan. A big, beautiful truck just for Hunk, one that he would be able to tinker with as much as he wanted, one that wouldn’t be prone to breaking down. Painted blue, or yellow, maybe. She willed the false memory of Hunk’s disbelieving, overjoyed grin at the sight of it out of her brain. It was never going to happen.

They needed to use the money for plane tickets.

“Okay, that’s great.” Colleen said. “I’ve already looked up flights. You’ll need to fly to Hawaii, then to LA. Juanita and I will meet you there. The soonest flight leaves on Wednesday.” 

Three days. “Thank you, Colleen. We’ll buy them as soon as we can.” Talia said. She hesitated, but forced herself to say, “We’re afraid our extended families won’t approve. They believe...they believe he’s already died. They’re going to think it’s useless.” 

She heard Colleen exhale. She attempted to picture this woman she’d never met, reacting to this potential roadblock. Finally she said, with slight impatience, “We aren't just doing this for our children. We're fighting the Garrison's unfair policies and unsafe practices. Besides you’re both adult women. You don’t have to live by their rules.”

“I know. We’re definitely doing this.” Talia said quickly. “It’s just going to be something they’re going to fight. I’m not looking forward to it.” 

She didn’t want to tell Colleen or Juanita about her biggest worry. Arihi had never left Samoa. It had never occurred to her to leave, not even when Talia was away at college and they were separated. Arihi adored the food, loved being near her family, enjoyed owning and operating her shop. Her hobbies were swimming in the ocean and birdwatching. Talia had no idea how long they’d be gone for, how long it would be before they started running out of money. She had no idea how Arihi would react to being in a strange country where people would look at her funny for her accent. She had no idea what the homesickness would be like for her wife. 

She knew Arihi was devoted to the cause of finding Hunk, Katie, Matt, Sam, Lance and Takashi, but it would be hard.

“How’s your Japanese?” Colleen asked, changing the subject. 

Talia frowned. “You still haven’t been able to get ahold of Mrs. Shirogane?” 

“No. I really think we’re going to have to show up in person. All I know is that she used to work for Meiji University, teaching chemistry. I have no idea how her English is, and we’re going to need someone who speaks Japanese well enough to navigate our trip either way.” 

“Of course.” Talia said. “Well, it’s a little rusty, but I studied Japanese for thirteen years. I think I was pretty close to fluent at one point.” 

“Good. I’ll see you on Wednesday.” 

“Of course.” The dial tone sounded a second later. Talia looked down at her phone, frowning. She couldn’t help the insecurity resonating within her body. She remembered flying through a storm one year on her way from California to Hawaii, the turbulence infiltrating her bones and making her feel like the entire world was quaking. She thought of Arihi’s motion sickness, and her unease melted into guilt. Then she felt guilty for feeling guilty. How could she put something like motion sickness ahead of Hunk’s safety, even for one fleeting moment? 

She stood out on the porch for half an hour. She watched the rain continue to pour, watched the light thin as it grew closer to twilight. She pictured the Earth rotating away from the sun, shadows slowly crossing Samoa until it was fully submerged in darkness, waiting for the dawn. She could see the entire planet in her mind, the Garrison in the desert, the rolling waves of Veradaro, the suburban streets of Grapevine, the lagoon of Satofu, the mystery in Japan. Places scattered across the world, tied together by six missing people. And tied together by four, hopefully five people that were willing to do anything to find them. 

She didn’t know how long it was until Arihi came outside and tucked a blanket around her. “You’re freezing.” she murmured. 

“Did you tell them?” Talia asked. Arihi nodded. They didn’t say anything else for a long while. 

“Do you want to say goodbye to your parents?” Arihi asked softly. Talia wondered if her thoughts were spiraling in the same way, frantically tearing the entire known universe apart, wishing for a sign of Hunk’s presence somewhere. She shook her head. 

“I’m ready to go.” 

January 13, 2201 

“Wow!” Hunk cried. Talia and Arihi watched as his face lit up. The little boy scrambled into the kitchen and crawled onto the counter, looking positively thrilled at the sight. 

"Get off the counter, Hunk." Talia couldn't stop herself from saying. "You'll get it dirty." Hunk slid off, but kept grabbing at the new kitchen supplies with eager hands. 

“All new pots, cookie sheets, muffin tins, cake pans, spatulas, paring knives, and even a mixer.” Arihi said proudly, grinning as Hunk oohed and aahed over his present. 

Talia frowned. “I thought you said we weren’t getting any knives.” she muttered. 

Arihi waved a hand. “He’ll be fine. I’ll teach him to be careful.” Talia wrinkled her nose at her and wished she could raise one eyebrow. Hunk was already knee-deep in the instruction manuel for the mixer, which was bright yellow. Talia had to raise her voice to get his attention. “And your tinamatua stopped by while you were at school. She dropped this off for you.” 

Pulling out a notebook filled with spindly handwriting, she handed it over to the eight-year old. He took it and thumbed through the recipes. “Wow.” he said. “Do I get to make all of these myself?” 

“We’ll help you.” Arihi said quickly. “And for your last present, you get to help me at work.” She produced a tiny toolbox, filled with real tools. When he saw it, Hunk screamed in excitement. 

Fifteen minutes of running around the house and yelling incoherantly later, Hunk was still going strong. Talia couldn’t help laughing as he cried, “I get to help you! Really?! Do I get to learn to drive can I can I can I do I get to change the tires do I get to honk the horn do I get to fix engines and fenders and paint?” And on and on and on. Tiring of his hyperactivity, Arihi scooped him up and boomed, “If you calm down, you can!” 

Talia stood on her tiptoes to yell in his ear, “But you are not driving any cars!” 

Three complaints from the neighbors later, Hunk wasn’t allowed to beep the horn either. But he was still filled to the brim with joy, and Talia was content. 

She couldn’t ask for anything more than this.

January 17, 2211 

Talia took Arihi’s hand. They walked down the escalator, looking for the women that were to be their deliverance. 

When she locked eyes with Colleen, she knew. 

When she met Juanita’s fierce gaze, she knew. 

When she felt Arihi squeeze her hand, she knew. 

“Welcome to America, Mrs. and Mrs. Garrett.” Juanita McClain said, extending a hand. 

This is the beginning, Talia thought, and felt something like hope unfurl in her heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos/comments are appreciated! 
> 
> :)


End file.
